Dead Man Out (1989)

Curiosidades

Dead Man Out is a 1989 American crime film directed by Richard Pearce and written by Ron Hutchinson. The film stars Rubén Blades as Ben, a death row inmate whose mental state is assessed by psychiatrist Dr Alex Marsh, played by Danny Glover, to determine whether he is competent to face execution. As Marsh attempts to establish a relationship with Ben, he becomes conflicted by the ethics of his responsibility and the prospect of condemning a man to death. The supporting cast includes Larry Block, Tom Atkins and Samuel L. Jackson.

Production

The film was produced for HBO Showcase, one of two divisions through which HBO developed television films. The unit's executive producer, Colin Callender, later described it as the "off-Broadway" counterpart to HBO Pictures, explaining that it sought stories not told elsewhere or familiar subjects approached in new ways, with productions intended to entertain while challenging viewers.

Composer Cliff Eidelman created the score for the film, in what was then only his second credited job. His involvement came after parts of his composition for Magdalena were broadcast on the public radio station KCRW and overheard by a director, who subsequently hired him to compose the score for the film, for which he was nominated for an ACE Award.

Blades became involved with the project after an agent friend presented him with the script, suggesting it was something he should consider. Blades subsequently changed agents to appoint her as his representative. As a law student in 1971, he had visited the prison island of Coiba in Panama to undertake research on repeat offenders.

Glover said he received the film's script while part way through production of the miniseries Lonesome Dove and following his portrayal of Nelson Mandela in the 1987 television film Mandela. He was interested in portraying characters with social consciousness and expressed fascination in the character's moral dilemma, whose professional judgement could condemn someone else to death. He noted that he wanted his work to "stir people".

In preparing for the role of Alex Marsh, he spent time observing two forensic psychiatrists conduct interviews with three inmates facing the death penalty. He also drew on his own experience of imprisonment, having previously spent time in prison following his arrest during a protest in San Francisco, before being acquitted.

Ler na Wikipédia · Texto da Wikipédia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Dados do Wikidata.